Kombucha, turmeric and oat milk… what exactly do those things have to do with an email list?
You’re about to learn, my friend.
It all comes down to the people you’re attracting to your list, and how their interests cross with yours.
In other words, it’s about making sure you’ve got an audience of raving fans who become your subscribers to your email list and eventually ready-to-buy customers who actually care about and are looking for the solutions you’re providing.
Because here’s the thing about email: it’s not dead.
I love social media but it’s not where the conversions are (aka, it isn’t the best platform for selling).
Don’t get me wrong, it can happen - most social media platforms have a conversion rate of 1-3%. And that means that if 100 people see your ad, 1 to 3 people will buy.
Not terrible. But when you consider you have no control over social media algorithms then it becomes obvious those odds aren’t really anything to build a business strategy on.
It means you have to diversify. Which is where email marketing comes in.
And heads up —> the most successful marketers are still using it.
Email’s conversion rate is 50-60% of the people who open & read your emails.
So let’s break this down with some grade school math: if 100 people are on your list and you have a typical open rate of 20% - meaning 20% of your subscribers are opening your emails and reading them - then that amounts to 20 people.
Of those 20 people who opened your email, 50-60% will buy.
Which comes to 10-12 people.
And that means with email, you’ve more than doubled your chances of making a sale.
This is why list building is super important. You’re essentially building an audience, or a list of customers, who will be primed and ready to buy what you throw out there.
But… there’s one little catch to this because as awesome as that email conversion stat is… it doesn’t happen like magic.
And that takes us back to my original question (and what I hinted at just before): what do kombucha, turmeric and oat milk have to do with email list building?
If you know me at all, you probably recognize it’s all stuff I’m into, personally, which… yes, is true, but it’s a little more strategic than that.
Remember that 50-60% conversion rate I mentioned earlier? It can be your reality if you’re nurturing and communicating with the peeps on your list in ways they care about.
In other words… if you’re attracting people whose interests align with yours in such a way that the solutions you offer are solving their problems.
And that means you’ve gotta have a list building strategy that attracts the right people onto your list to begin with.
The kind of people who you know you can help (without a doubt) and who find you because of your unique spin on how you solve their problems.
And for me… that comes down to clueing my ideal client or customer avatar into healthy lifestyle hacks that will help her….
Like how kombucha helps her gut, turmeric reduces inflammation in her bod, and why oat milk is a better choice over cow milk …
… which are all topics she cares about, and wants to know more about.
I end up attracting her to my list because she craves knowledge on these topics but lacks the time and resources to find the info herself. I’ve done the work for her so it’s an easy yes for her to join my list or inner circle do to speak.
And when the time is right and I have a promo, a course to launch, or a product to sell… I can tell her about it and she’s actually listening.
And she trusts me enough to purchase because I’ve nurtured her (and everyone else on my list) to the point where she knows I give her what’s useful, helpful and what she really needs.
So the “magic” behind the 50-60% conversion rate comes down to creating content your ideal client cares about.
Which brings up the question: how do you create that magical content?
I have two strategies for ya.
Strategy 1 - Think about your ideal client’s challenges and how you can solve them.
Do you have (or can you create) a freebie you can share that solves a problem?
Maybe your avatar is a mom who has picky eaters in her home and is trying to feed those little ones better. If so, a freebie idea may be a checklist for a pantry makeover which helps her find a way to start stocking like the badass mom she wants to be.
Or maybe your avatar is a woman trying to launch her first business. A freebie idea may be a list of useful websites and apps she could use instead of completely freaking out in the realm of overwhelm.
Or maybe your avatar is a woman looking for natural remedies. A freebie idea could be a downloadable collection of essential oil diffuser recipes so she no longer has to feel clueless about where to begin.
Make sense?
Another word for this (you know, giving her this something that will serve her) is creating a “lead magnet” because it attracts leads to your business.
But it only works to build your list of ready-to-buy-from-you peeps if you’re tailoring it to the solutions you provide.
Just remember to not give all your secrets away with the freebie, okay? But do be generous. It’s gotta be good enough to be, well….a magnet to draw her in. ;-)
Strategy 2 - Put together a basic nurture sequence for this list you’re building
Because, my friend, if you don't connect with your list in between trying to sell them something, ie. talking to them about promos, incentives and anything else they can buy from you...they’re gonna unsubscribe!
“Nurturing” is marketing speak for treating your list like it’s full of real people - cause, duh, they are - and not just numbers who can help you make money.
This means spending time to figure out who she is, what she’s into, and how to create content for her.
If you aren’t in the habit of this, the idea of it may seem kinda crushing.
“Ugh! One more thing I have to do for my business!” but the good news is, you get to decide what this looks like.
For instance, you could email them weekly. Or, every other week. Or even once a month.
The point is - you want to pick a frequency and stick with it because consistency is the King of success with email.
Treat your newsletter like the serious biz asset it is and pump it with content your list cares about.
If you have no idea what to write about… ask your list! People seriously love to give their opinions and be helpful.
You can email them and say “Hey you! So happy you're here. I want this year to be loaded with only the best things you need. In order to do that, I need your help. What would you like to hear more about?” Then give them 3-4 choices.
Build that list, my friend.
XO,
Hayley